Display fixture



Sept. 9,1930. J. B. AUERBACH DISPLAY FIXTURE Filed June 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IVENTOR JasepkliAuerbac b.

Savings UUEIUEIEIZHEIEIUUUEIDEI UIIIUUUEUEIQUUUUUU UUUUIIIEEIEIIENEHEEIUUU [QIIEIEI El WEE BY m 4 4 4 HIS ATTORNEYS Sept. 9, 1930. J. a. AUERBACH DISPLAY FIXTURE 2 ShQIt-ShGGL Filed June 13. 1928 I y 14 A RNEYS Patented Sept. 9, 1930 JOSEPH. B. AUERBAOH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH S. ARVID COMPANY,

INC, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DISPLAY FIXTURE Application filed June 13,

The presentinveniton is concerned with advertising display devices which may have a Wide range of utility, but which are peculiarly adapted and primarily intended for store window displays. p I

An object of the invention is to provide a display fixture of this character, preferably of the illuminated sign type, which may be conveniently and prominently displayed in store windows withoutrequiring any material rearrangement of the goods in the window, inasmuch as the sign is readily adjustable-t0 occupy conveniently such waste space as may be present in the window.

Another object is to provide a portable sign unit of this character which completely obviates the necessity for using hangers or other supoprting fixtures of any kind, the sign, in all of its various positions of adjustment, being self-sustaining against toppling over.

Another object is to provide a sign in which the advertising indicia may be conveniently and expeditiously changed thus rendering the device particularly well suitedjfor advertising the frequently changed attractions of local theatres.

Another object is to provide a sign which is light inweight so that it-may be conven- '30 ient-ly handled and shifted about in a window, and of simple practical construction, rugged, durable and efiicient in use and well suited totherequirements of economical manufacture.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sign includes a pair of display units hingedly connected together. Each unit consists of a'vertical front sign panel and a lamp casing concealed by and disposed behind the anel.

If the panels are swung to positions where they define angles with each other, the lower edges of the panels themselves provide a stable support for the display. hen the L panels are moved into alignment with each other, the weight of the lamp casings tilts the assemblage rearwardly and their rear lower corners engage the supporting surface, andserve as easels for the panels.

Due tothe tapering casings, preferably of 1928. Serial No. 284,967.

triangular shape in horizontal crossrsection, a wide range of hinged adjustment is permitted the panels, and the panels may be swung rearwardly to define an acute angle with each other before the lamp casings of the units abut.

With the above noted andotherobjects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described .and pointed out in the claims.

The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with .the accompanying .drawings wherein,

Fig. 1 isafront-elevational view of a dis play deviceembod-ying the invention.

, Fig. 2 isan enlarged vertical, sectional View on the line 22 of Fig. .1, the dotted lines indicating the forwardly swung positionof the panel. I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged verticalsectional view onthe line 33 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan detail of the hinge construction.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the hinge.

Fig. 6 is a reduced diagrammatic top-plan view ofthe display .device.

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the panels swung rearwardly to a point where the lamp casings abut.

Fig. 8 is a similar viewillustrating another position of adjustment in which the panels have been swung forwardly from their aligned position of Fig. 6, and

Fig. 9 is a rear perspective view of the sign. 7

In the drawings, I have used the reference letters 10 and 11 to designate the two hingedly connected units of the display. These units include front panels 12 and 13 preferably of similar contour and lamp casings Hand 15 arranged behind the respective panelsand preferably provided with flanges 16 lying against the rear faces of the panels. The flanges of the casing 15 are nailed or otherwise secured at 17 to the rectangular frames of the panel 13.

Preferably each lamp casing is in the nature of an open front metal box tapering rearwardly from its opened front and preferably of triangular shape in horizontal cross theshortest side of the triangle connecting with the free end of the panel. By disposing the most sharply acute angles'ofthe triangles adjacent each otner a maximum of rearward I swinging movementof the two units is had before such units abut. The lamps are preferably mounted near the rear corners of the lamp casings so that maximum reflective efliciency is had from the polished surfaces of the casings.

. The panel 13 is preferably rigidly fixed to its casing 15'as above noted and advertising displays such for instance as the cards 17 and 18 are applied from the front of the panel, these cards bein of the usual springy cardboard or equivalent material and capable of being readily fitted into the receiving channels 19 and 20 defined by grooves in the frame members 21 and 22 which encircle openings 23 and 24 in the panel. The opening 23 is preferably of such size that the hand may be readily passed therethrough for emplacing or removing the lamp 25 with "respect to its socket 26 which is mounted onjthe bottom of the lamp casing 15.

A different construction is employedin con nection with the unit 10. .Here the panel 12 is hingedly connected as at 28 to the lower edge of the lamp casing 14 so that the panel may be conveniently swung forward as illustratedin dotted lines in Fig.2, in order to permit changing of the displays. The dis plays used in this panel may conveniently be of the type disclosed in the} prior patent to William Herrschaft No." 1,662,704, issued March 13, 1928. Reference maybe had to the patent for a detailed description of this dis play which is only briefly described here as follows. I a

Y The panel 12 is a substantially open rectangular frame, mounting at itstop spaced horizontal guide rails 28 and 29 into which a display card 30 may be slid endwise, this card being preferably backed by a removable glass plate 31 also slid into position. Fixed to'the rear face of the panel'12 is a sheet metal plate 32 preferably integral at its upper edge with rail'29 and havingrows of openings therein for the reception of removable tray shaped character bearing elements 33, which elements are retained in place by a grille member 34 the bars of which overliethe flanges of the character bearing elements 33 and clamp them against the plate 32. The character bearing members 33 are of course of varying degrees of translucency atdifierent the grille plate 34 may serve to support varicolored translucent strips 36 slipped endwise between the rails and serving to distinctively l color each row of character members.

Aligned apertured ears 37 and 38 rigid'with the rail 29 and with the bottom of the plate 32 respectively, receive slide rods 39 for locking the grille plate against movement on the hinges 40 which connect it to the bottom of the plate 32. i s

The lamp casing 14 of this display unit Inountsa lamp socket 42 of conventional charactor for lamp 4 1. Both lamp casings are provided with heat dissipating openings 27.)

Both lamp sockets are preferably equipped with the usual thermostatic flasher switches (not shown); a I

A novel type of hinge structure isemployed to connect the adjacent corners of the two units of the display device while spacing them slightly apart for free hinging movement in either direction. The upper hinge is shown on an enlarged scale in Figs. 4 and 5. This hinge includes a substantially fiat leaf 43 screwed or otherwise secured at 44jto' the slightly twisted extension 47 of the leaf i is welded or otherwise secured to the lamp casing 14. A similar construction is 'employed to connect the lower corners ofthe panels 12 and 13, except that the lower hinge carries a pivoted latch member for engagement with the flange '16 of the casing 14, to prevent the hinged part'12 from dropping- In Figs. 6, 7 and 81 have illustrated dia grammaticallythe wide range of adjustment which is afforded by the hinge arrangementand the peculiar shape of the lamp casings.

With .theparts in the'position of Fig. 6, panels 12 and 13 are aligned and the weight of the lamp casings will tend to tilt the panels slightly rearwardly until the *rear lower corners of the casings engage'the supporting surface so that the lamp casings serve in effect as easels for the panels. r

When the two units are swung about. their hinges either forwardly as in Fig. 8, or rearwardly as in Fig. 7 the lower edges of'the panels themselves will afford a stable sup-' port for the device so that the weight of the lamp casings is inoperative to tilt the panels and in these positions the lamp casings will not contact with the supporting surface.

is inverted. The upper edgejof the panel 12 i further swinging movement is checked by the abutment of the casings.

The panels may be swung forwardly to any desired extent as indicated in Fig. 8 and the sign by virtue of the wide range of pivotal adjustment of the two units may be conveniently fitted into whatever window space is available without materially detracting from the prominence of the data displayed or requiring substantial rearrangement of the goods on display.

For convenience in carrying the sign or storing it, the two panels, without material alteration of the hinge structure, may be ar ranged to swing flatly against each other, or the two panels may be swung rearwardly as shown in Fig. 7 the device in either instance occupying but little space.

Access may be had to the lamp 25 through the opening 23 or to the lamp 4:1 by swinging the panel 12 downwardly on its hinges 28. The displays are, of course, of translucent character so that they will attract attention as the lamps are switched on and off by the thermostatic socket flashers. Obviously, various arrangements of openings might be used in panel 13, instead of that shown, one such alternative being the elimination of the upper opening 24 and the substitution of narrow vertical openings adjacent each side of the panel, with the reading matter, if any, extending vertically.

The display characters 38 may be readily changed by simply swinging the panel 12 forwardly lifting out the slide rods 39 and swinging the grille plate 34 rearwardly. The display card 31 or the color strips 36 are freely removable and replaceable by an endwise sliding movement with the panel 12 when the latter is in the dot and dash line position of Fig. 2.

The invention in its broader aspects is by no means limited to illuminated display signs and the casings 12 and 14 might contain various objects to be displayed which objects are visible through windows on the panels 12, 13 and either not specially illuminated or lighted from an outside source.

Obviously, the number of hingedly connected units might be indefinitely multiplied within the spirit of the invention. All units might hear signs of either type herein shown or of an entirely diflerent type.

It will thus be seen that there is herein clecribed, a device in which the several features of this invention are embodied, and which device in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all 1natter contained in the above description or shown -in'the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting-sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-:

1. An: illuminated sign including a pair ofhingedly connected sign units each comprising a vertical front panel and a lamp housing behind the panel, the lamp housings being of triangular shape in horizontal cross 1 section.

'12. A display device including a pair of hingedly connected units each comprising a vertical front panel and a casing behind the panel, the casings being of such shapes that the panels, may be swung rearwardly to define an acute angle before the casings abut. 3. An illuminated sign including a pair of Lil hingedly connected units each comprising a;

front vertical sign bearing panel and a lamp casing at the rear of the panel, the panel of one unit being hingedly connected to its lamp casing, the unit connecting hinges including movably connected leaves attached IGSPBC-I'I tively to the casing of the hinged-panel unit and the panel of the other unit.

l. A display apparatus including a pair of hingedly connected display units, each of open-front casing attached to the rear of the panel.

5. A display apparatus including a pair of qhingedly connected display units each of said units includlng a front panel and a casing "backlng the rear of the panel and attached said units including a front panel and am 7. A display apparatus including a pair of hingedly connected units each including a panel and a casing therebehind, one of said panels being fixed to its casing and the other of said panels being hingedly connected at its lower edge to said casing, the unit-coir necting hinge members being secured to the panel of the first unit and the casing of the other unit.

8. A. display apparatus including a pair of hingedly connected units each including a:

panel and a casing therebehind, unit-connecting hinge members secured to the panel of the first unit and the casing of the other unit, and each hinge including a horizontal leaf for attachment to a panel and an angular leaf including a horizontal portion for connection to the .first mentioned leaf and a s substantially vertical extension for attachment to the casing.

9. An illuminated sign including a pair of hingedly connected sign units each cornprising a vertical front panel and a lamp housing behind the panel, the lamp housings being of scalene triangular shape with their most acute angles defining the singed corners of the unit. q

10; An illuminated sign including a pair of hingedly connected sign units each com prising a vertical front panel and'a lamp housing behind the panel, the lamp housings being of scalene triangular shape with their most acute angles defining the hinged corners of the unit and lamps disposed closely adjacent the rear corners of the casings.

.11. A display device including a pair of hingedly connected units each comprising a vertical front panel and a casing behind the panel, thecasings being of such shapes that the panels may betswung rearwardly to define an acute angle before the casings abut, and the hinged connection including leaves arranged out of the path of the forward swinging movement of the panels toward abutting position whereby the panels may be swung flatly against each other to render the ,7

device compact in storage and transport.

12. A display device including a plurality of hingedly connected units each com rising a vertical front panel and a casing behlnd the panel, the casings being of such shapes and the hinges of such form, that the panelsmay be swung rearwardly or forwardly to define an acute angle. a

Signed at New York, in the county of New 7 York and State of New York, this 12th day of June A. D. 1928. 1 a

' JOSEPH B. AUERBACH. 

